The Toronto Raptors 2022-2023 season is in the books, and if they hope to make some major changes to the roster this offseason, their best player may not be as valuable on the trade market as some might think.
Heading into the NBA trade deadline, the Toronto Raptors were seen as a franchise with several players many teams around the league were interested in. Impending free agent Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent, Pascal Siakam, and OG Anunoby were all talents some NBA observers thought the organization might part with and look to the future during a down season.
However, the Toronto Raptors surprised everyone by trading none of their valuable assets and instead adding one in San Antonio Spurs center Jakob Poeltl.
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The player that reportedly garnered the most interest around the league, but had a massive price tag, was rising star OG Anunboy. However, many around the sport would suggest that Pascal Siakam is the true impact star on the Raptors. Yet, it seems he was never up for grabs before the trade deadline.
Following an early exit from the NBA Play-In tournament, the belief is that Toronto will shake up the roster this summer. Trading Siakam, in theory, would be a way to attain a lot of worthwhile chips toward a long-term rebuild. But the two-time All-Star might not have the value some would expect around the league.
Toronto Raptors record (2022): 41-41
On Friday, Heavy.com NBA writer Steve Bulpett took a look at the change coming to the Raptors and received a surprising bit of information on Pascal Siakam from a league source.
“I know that Anunoby’s name comes up all the time. Interestingly enough, Siakam’s name is not as well regarded as you would have thought. The guy gets buckets. He can score. But I do think he and Gary Trent carry the same label. They can score, but I’m not sure they help you win.
“VanVleet’s a player, and so is Scottie Barnes. Poeltl is a competent center. He’s nothing special, but he’s certainly competent and provides a pretty good defensive presence. Siakam is one of the better scorers in the league. And all Gary Trent does is make buckets. Yet they can’t bust a grape.”
– Report on Pascal Siakam
That is a pretty damning assessment of the Toronto Raptors star’s possible trade value. However, that is just one opinion and others may see massive value in the All-Star who averaged a career-best 24 points per game this season.